


Like I Would Give Something Like This Away?

by paleromantic, tylerscreamingintothevoid



Series: AFTG Bingo - Andreil card [3]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Conflict Resolution, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Future Fic, Living Together, M/M, Matt? Jogging?, Neil Reassures Him, Overworks-Himself Neil, Self-Esteem Issues, Stay-At-Home Andrew, argument, injured Andrew
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-08-19 09:45:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16532156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paleromantic/pseuds/paleromantic, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tylerscreamingintothevoid/pseuds/tylerscreamingintothevoid
Summary: Since the accident, Andrew's felt like dead weight on his boyfriend, and it's all bottled up. Neil wouldn't trade how they live for the world.(Bingo prompt - Hug & Comment)





	Like I Would Give Something Like This Away?

**Author's Note:**

> incest supports, don't interact

  
Neil's mornings used to go like this.   
  
_ Get up, get dressed, play Exy.  _   
  
Now though, it was get up, get dressed, tend to Andrew's needs, go to work. He emerged from the apartment bedroom at seven in the morning on the dot. Andrew would have already been up for an hour by then, also on the dot. Minyard didn't sleep much- claimed he didn't need to.   
  
Neil trudged his way to the kitchen, leaning over the granite countertops Andrew had insisted upon. He slotted two slices of bread into the toaster and just squinted at it, as if it had just called him some unspeakable name.   
  
"Good morning to you too, Josten."   
  
Neil didn't even turn.  _ Mrunin _ was the noise that came out of his mouth, the intention most likely being a polite response.   
  
Andrew was sitting at the table, mug of coffee in front of him. I love my cats was printed on the front. It had been a gift from a friend. Totally a gift.   
  
Neil heard a throat being cleared from behind him, but it wasn't Andrew. He turned on his heel, and squinted further. "Matt, what are you doing here?"   
  
Matt was seated next to Andrew, stirring a cup of coffee of his own. It had been a few years since Andrew and Neil had moved on from the Foxes, and neither of them had seen much from the team. Why was the man here?   
  
Matt shifted in his seat. "I texted you, you said you'd love to meet up for a morning run... ring any bells?"   
  
Neil racked his brain. His exhausted, sleep deprived brain. He came up dry. He barely remembered text conversations.    
  
"Yes, totally, Matthew, yes. Sorry, I slept in."   
  
Matt chuckled. "Oh, Neil. It's okay! I cleared out my schedule for the day, so I'm free to do whatever."   
  
Neil sighed. "Could you wait in the sitting room for me? I just need to go and get changed."   
  
Matt took his leave and Andrew furrowed his brow at Neil as he dragged himself by, in an almost zombie state. He sipped his coffee and put it down again, the soft clunk the only sound in the kitchen. "You look like shit, Josten."   
  
Neil didn't give him a second glance. He did this every day.    
  
"What, have you never heard of a razor blade?"   
  
Matt peaked out from the hallway, a concerned look on his face. "Uh, did I just- Andrew, are you?"   
  
Andrew glared at the big man, nodding sarcastically and dragging his fingernails across his wrists. "Yes, Matthew, I'm practically on the verge of killing myself."   
  
Matt's face paled but Neil waved the blonde off, heading to the bedroom to change. White nylon shorts, grey shirt, orange hoodie. Knee high socks- the white ones with the orange stripes that he's had for ages. Seeing Matt was honestly making him more sentimental for the Foxes than he had been for a while.   
  
Alright, that was a lie. He missed the Foxes every day. They weren't that distant, he figured. He just hadn't seen or spoken to them in a while. Oh, did he miss them dearly, though.   
  
His jog with Matt was going to be good. The man was now working in tech startup, quickly rising up the ranks in the business. And here Neil was working at the coffee shop at the corner. It didn't matter, really, because he was happy.   
  
Andrew Minyard's mornings used to go like this. 

_ Get out of bed, smoke, Exy, smoke, pills, smoke, drink. _   
  
His mornings since the accident went more like get up, rely on Neil, sleep while he's at work, do nothing all day, then sleep some more.   
  
He woke early, to get a good start to the day, did his exercises in the morning, noon and the evening, but seemed to deflate between them. His enthusiasm was usually gone by one in the afternoon, and he'd lay down on the couch watching Netflix until he fell asleep.   
  
His leg was fucked. The abridged version of the story, that he told everyone who asked, was that he pulled a muscle on the pitch, badly. The truth? Not even Neil could be sure. Andrew had provided several entirely different explanations to the event.   
  
Neil worked every day of the week, bar Sundays. On weekdays he worked the coffee shop, Fridays and Saturdays he worked a late shift at a local bar. He explained to Matt on the particular Saturday that that was why he had been so exhausted he couldn't even remember a conversation he'd had over text a few nights ago.   
  
Matt Boyd had always been a sweetheart, and of course it didn't bother him at all. The fact that he even had a schedule- meetings, appointments, the like- to clear half intimidated Neil. This man had his life together. Neil did too, though, so there was no need for jealousy or fear, but just that small part of him that wondered what would have happened if he'd pursued school, or hadn't taken a break from Exy.   
  
If he'd pursued school, gone to some business degree like Matt, would they have a house now? Would himself and Andrew have somewhere substantial to live, not a cruddy apartment?   
  
He didn't think the apartment was cruddy.    
  
_ (He thought the apartment was cruddy.) _   
  
When Neil got back it was late afternoon. Andrew had ordered thai- the smell wafting through the kitchen to the front door. Neil unlaced his shoes meticulously and pushed them aside. "Home, love."   
  
Andrew had twirled some noodles around his fork and he cocked his head.  _ "We'com'bak." _   
  
Neil groaned and collapsed onto the couch, letting his breath leave him in a slow sigh. "How was your day?"    
  
His back ached and he was already on the verge of passing out.   
  
"It was fine. And how is Matthew Boyd doing these days?"   
  
"He's fine." Neil yawned and then stretched out. "He's always so busy, I'm glad I got to see him.”

Andrew finished his noodle box, tossing it aside. "Cool. So not as depressing a day as usual?"   
  
Neil made a noncommittal noise. "Same old, same old. How's your leg today?"  He could barely pay attention, really, and he yawned again. He really needed to start sleeping better. 

"My leg is fine I guess. Still useless. God, Neil, sorry that I'm so lazy."   
  
Neil frowned, scrubbing at his eyes. "What?"   
  
Andrew scratched at his stomach absentmindedly. "Is it my fault you're so sad every day?"   
  
Neil rolled his eyes and then pushed himself up, with the intention of making himself coffee. "No, Andrew."   
  
"Yeah, sure. Avoid it then, but you're miserable, and it's all on me, isn't it?"   
  
_ Why was Andrew picking a fight right now _ . "I'm so tired, Drew, I don't have the energy for this." Neil was half joking, but he couldn't muster the energy to put the right inflection on it, so it came out blunter than he meant for it to.   
  
"You don't have the energy for anything anymore. You won't even argue with me."   
  
Neil paused, then looked at him. "You can't  _ honestly _ be upset that I won't argue with you."   
  
"I can't be upset that my boyfriend doesn't care enough about me to talk to me?"   
  
That absolutely was not the same thing. "That's not fair." Neil fought off a yawn, and then reached for the energy drink in the bag. "That's not even close to the truth." If Andrew's goal had been to piss him off, he'd succeeded. "I work my ass off to pay for this apartment, and your doctors, and the bills and you think I don't care about you?"   
  
Andrew frowned. "That's not what I'm saying. Are you stupid? I'm saying that... that you shouldn't have to." He tightened his arms around himself. "You shouldn't have to be here, depressed, taking care of me."   
  
"You're my boyfriend, Andrew, what am I supposed to do then?"   
  
"You could play Exy. You wouldn't have to spend all your money on my doctor, on my therapy, you wouldn't have to work as much anyway."   
  
"Then I'd have to leave you to go to matches, I can't leave you here alone. I don't want to leave you here alone."   
  
Andrew scoffed. "So you'll work yourself to death taking care of a stupid..."   
  
"Shut up." Neil snapped, and then winced.    
  
"I want to take care of you, and I'll do whatever it takes. I'm sorry that I can't do any better than this."

Andrew looked away, blush spreading to the tips of his ears. And with the argument over, all of the energy seemed to drain out of Neil again.    
  
"Hey, Drew?"   
  
_ "What?" _   
  
Andrew snapped back with the same vigour Neil had had. Neil flinched a little. "Can I hug you?"   
  
Andrew's expression softened, his arms loosening their grip around his chest. "You... yeah. Yeah, actually. Yes."   
  
Neil crawled over the seat to hug him, curling up against Andrew's body and wrapping his arms around the man's torso. Andrew sniffled slightly, hugging Neil back and burying his face into his shoulder. They stayed like that for a long time, before Neil sniffed, and chuckled. "Did you use my shampoo?"   
  
Andrew chuckled. "You can smell it?"   
  
He sighed, then. "I'm sorry. I feel-feel like such a-"   
  
Neil could hear him choking up. He shrugged, and then kissed his boyfriend’s neck, making him shudder. "You're injured, it's not lazy Drew."   
  
"I feel like such a burden, Neil, and I l-love- I'm in..."   
  
Neil kissed him gently, cutting him off. "I know, I know you are Drew. I feel the same, okay?"   
  
Andrew groaned. "Hey, let me finish..."   
  
"Go ahead then, love." Neil called him that, sometimes, but usually only then they were falling asleep together.   
  
Andrew was almost in tears at this point. "I'm such a burden, and you're... I'm in love with you, ugh you- wipe that fucking smile off your face, asshole!"   
  
Neil just shook his head. "I chose to give up Exy, Drew. I chose this, you didn't make me. If it was a burden, do you really think I'd put up with it?"   
  
Andrew shook his head hurriedly.   
  
"Exactly, babe." Neil stretched, his back popping. "Work sucks, it does, but it's worth it because you get to rest as much as you need."   
  
The blonde tucked his head under Neil's chin, holding him closer, more tenderly.   
  
"You okay, Drew?"   
  
"Never better."   
  
Neil chuckled. "Do you need anything right now?”

“Sleep. Together?"   
  
"God, yes."


End file.
